


In Front of You (title may change)

by Birds_And_Buses



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, Gay, M/M, My First Published Work, Rating May Change, WIP, Wrong Number AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-16 18:52:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4636365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birds_And_Buses/pseuds/Birds_And_Buses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler gets a wrong number text from some guy with pink hair. Apparently his name is Josh. Apparently he's pretty cool.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Josh (from the bar)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this!  
> I plan on updating at least once a week.  
> This is the only place where this story is/will be published. If you see it on any other site(s), please let me know.

        

 

 

 

 

       

         'Hey, this is Josh from the bar'

  
          Tyler stared quizzically down at the phone in his hand. Josh? From the bar? He hadn't been to a bar in months, never mind ever actually talking to a patron or, even more, getting someone's number. This guy must have been given a fake number, or perhaps he typed it in wrong.

  
          'I think you have the wrong number man. I don't know anyone named Josh.'

  
          Tyler locked his screen and pocketed his phone, continuing home from work. He hadn't wanted to stay past 11:00 PM, but his coworker had some sort of emergency at home and he decided shelving records and sweeping for a few extra hours was at least a little better than whatever she had to go take care of in such a rush. Despite the good deed, he was glad to be going home. He's been fiddling around with a tune all day and he was excited to finally get it down on paper.

  
          His phone buzzed in his pocket about a minute later.

  
          'Oh he gave me a fake? That sucks major balls. Sorry for bothering you, have a great night'

  
          As Tyler was preparing a reply, he was suddenly blinded by a pair of headlights and the subsequent blaring of a car horn nearly had him jumping out of his skin. One hand went with his phone into the pocket of his hooded jacket while the other motioned in a placating manner to the Nisan in front of him as he hurried across the road. He heaved a breath of relief and didn't take his phone out again until he was home.

  
          Once the apartment door swung shut behind him, Tyler tossed his key ring onto the couch, toed off his shoes, and made a beeline for the kitchen. There, he made himself a bowl of ramen, grabbed a redbull, then headed back for the couch to write out the song he'd had trapped in his head. Halfway through that, he remembered the man who'd texted him - Josh. He could just not reply, but where would be the fun in that? He took up his phone once more and typed.

  
          'No worries dude. Sorry things didn't work out for you though. Better luck next time, right?'

  
          He got an answer no more than ten seconds later.

  
          'I won't be trying a bar again, that's for sure. Thrice should be a deal breaker, four times is just sad.'

  
          Tyler laughed lightly to himself.

  
          'You mean you were given a fake number four times? That is pretty sad...'

  
          He regretted that wording the instant he hit "send". He forgets that not everyone is accustomed to his brand of sarcasm, and he often comes off as rude.  

  
          'Well, no. Rejected, though, sure. More than four times, that's just the amount of times it's been in a bar setting. Pink hair probably has something to do with it... I was real popular in high school though. Well, no. That's a lie. I had a girlfriend for like two months. That counts right?'

  
          Tyler laughed in full this time, head tipped back. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it so it stuck up at odd angles, then typed a reply.

  
          'Totally counts, dude. Totally. Pink hair, huh? Sounds pretty awesome to me.'

  
          'Don't patronize me. I'm probably bugging you at this point aren't I?

  
          Tyler checked the time. Nearly midnight. His shift didn't start until 3:00 PM. He smiled.

  
          'Na, I'll be up for a while and I've got nothing better to do. If I'm bugging you though...'

  
          He hoped he wasn't bugging Josh. Josh seemed cool.

  
          'Not at all, but I do have stuff to do in the morning and work will be hell if I don't get to sleep soon.' 

  
          'Sure, man, hope you sleep well.'

  
          'Thanks. Maybe we can talk some more tomorrow, you seem cool. Night.'

  
          Even as he lay in bed hours later, Tyler couldn't quite get the grin off his face.


	2. Unlit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little back and forth between Tyler and Josh.

                The next morning, er - afternoon, Tyler awoke to a barrage of texts. He blinked blearily at his screen, scrubbing a hand down his face. He wrinkled his nose at his prickly stubble. He hadn't slept well.

 

                'Hey, I'm sorry about texting you last night.'

 

                'I was buzzed and kinda lonely.'

 

                'It was prolly pretty annoying huh?'

 

                'If you want to still text though that'd be unlit.'

 

               'Uh.'

 

               'I never got your name.'

 

               'It's fine if you don't want to tell me though.'

 

              'Sorry.'

 

              He was a bit more awake after reading through the messages, and he sat up, twisting and stretching every which way. He groaned blissfully when his back popped, the noise morphing into a yawn. Turning his attention back to his phone, Tyler frowned minutely at Josh's apparent self-consciouness. His personality seemed to take a bit of a 180. Must have been the alcohol. Tyler could relate.

 

             'It wasn't annoying, stop apologizing. My name's Tyler :) You said your name was Josh, right?'

 

             Tyler knew for a fact that Josh had indeed said that, but he thought he'd ask anyway, keep the conversation going. His phone told him it was 12:34 PM, which meant he had roughly two hours to get ready for work. He decided it would be a lazy morning, er - afternoon.

 

            'Yeah, I'm Josh :)'

 

            'You said you had work. Where do you work at?'

 

             Tyler stood from his bed and nearly fell on his face tripping over dirty clothes on the floor as he tried to leave the room. He managed to free himself without any injuries. He debated on whether to go for food first or the shower first. After deciding he felt more dirty than hungry, he made his way into the bathroom.

 

              'I'm a waiter at Olive Garden. Not what I wanna be doing, but it pays well enough.'

 

               Tyler knew that feeling all too well. The record store was fine, but business was slow and unexciting, and he needed something more. He sent Josh a text.

 

              'What do you want to be doing?'

 

              Tyler wanted to be the one making albums and going on trips for concerts. He paused. What were those called again? There was a word for it... Tyler squinted at himself in the bathroom mirror.

 

             "Tours!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He reveled in remembering the word, but ultimately felt dumb for forgetting it in the first place. He then went about turning on the shower and disrobing. Josh hadn't sent anything back yet, so he sent one last text saying where he'd be for the next thwenty minutes before stepping into the spray.

 

             When he stepped out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and dried his hands before reaching for his phone. Three new notifications.

 

             'I play the drums. It would be super awesome to start a band or something.'

 

            'What do you do for work?'

 

            'And how do you even take twenty minutes to shower? What are you doing that entire time?'

 

             Tyler grinned wide. A drummer? He wondelred if Josh was good. He probably was.

 

            'You play drums? That's awesome! I play piano and sing. I work in a record store right now, but I want to make music, not sell it. And what are you talking about? Don't you spend half of your shower just standing and thinking about life and stuff?'

 

            Tyler toweled himself off as he walked back to his room to put togther an outfit for the day. By outfit, he meant an old graphic tee and hopefully clean black skinny jeans. He ignored  the holes in his socks when he jammed his feet into a pair of worn, red Converse.

 

            'Are you serious?! Man talk about fate, right? I get enough exestentialism laying awake at night though, I don't need more during shower time. u do u tho'

 

           Tyler smiled, then checked the time. 1:17 PM. Plenty to spare. He went to the kicthen and rumaged through his fridge, then his pantry. He pursed his lips. Stale Lucky Charms would have to do.

 

           He sat down on the couch (he didn't have a table anyway) with a nearly overflowing bowl.

 

            'I'd call it fate, yeah. Do you not sleep well or something?'

 

            'I have pretty bad insomnia honestly.'

 

            Tyler marveled at how alike he and Josh were. They chatted back and forth for longer than either of them realized, mooning over sleepless nights and groggy mornings, over anxieties they shared and fears that were all their own. They discussed their favorite bands and what style of music they like to play. Tyler asked about Josh's skills on the drums and Josh was confident in his answer that his skills were "unlit". When the former then inquired about the term "unlit", Josh seemed just a bit embarrassed by the term, or maybe he didn't quite know exactly what it meant himself. That was fine with Tyler, and Josh was obviously grateful for the understanding. The inquiry fell on Tyler, who assured his friend that he was more than competant in his hobby. Tyler wanted so badly to ask where Josh lived. That wouldn't be too weird at this point, would it? Still, he hesitated.

 

           'Hey Tyler, I'll be a little slow on replies for a bit. I'm going out before my shift starts.'

 

            'No prob Jish, I have to go in for my shift now anyway. Talk to you soon :)'

 

           '*Josh'

 

           'Nah, Jish is good, pretend I didn't correct myself.'

 

           'You're ridiculous, Ty. In the best way. Later'

 

           Tyler giggled and went to his contact list. He entered Josh's number under the name "Jish", then finished getting ready for work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be a long series. There may only be one chapter left, so leave a comment if you want me to continue with it. No guarantees, though.


	3. Like Cotton Candy

         

 

 

 

 

           Business was slow today, as it was on most days in the record shop, and Tyler was ready to get home by the time it was 5:00 PM. There had been very few customers, among which were a young mother and her toddler, who had left a mess in their wake. Vinyls reshelved in the wrong genre section, CD displays all but toppled over. The woman had forgotten a sippy cup that had been spilled across the floor by the register.

          Tyler had never been so grateful for disruptive customers. He jumped at the oppurtunity for something to do, anything to do. He took care of the sippy cup first, sopping up what looked to be cranberry juice and tossing the cup in the waste bin. He felt a bit bad about just throwing it away, but that feeling passed when he got a better look at the disorganized mess they'd left.

          He was in the middle of reorganizing the CD's when the bell above the door chimed, signaling the arrival of a customer. Tyler peeked his head around the display and called out the usual greeting to the man who'd just walked in. Tyler didn't get a good look at him from where he stood, but one feature did catch his attention.

          Pink hair. Bright, unnatural pink, like cotton candy or bubble gum. Tyler immediately thought of Josh, then felt a bit silly for doing so. Other people had pink hair. Other men had pink hair. It wasn't _completely_ uncommon, Tyler rationalized. Still, Tyler felt anxiety curl in his gut. They hadn't talk for long, no, but it was the substance that counted. Tyler had never clicked wth anyone so quickly in his lfe. The thought that they could be in the same room together right now was nerve-wracking.

         Tyler finished with the CD's, then stepped into the open to find the man with his back to Tyler, thumbing through a milk crate of records. The sides of his head appeared to be nearly shaved, with a vibrant faux-hawk curling at the base of his neck. He was wearing a loose patterned tank top and black skinny jeans and Tyler felt his mouth go dry. He was so attractive from the back, Tyler didn't know how well it'd go if he managed to get a good view of him from the front.

         After a few moments steeling himself, Tyler spoke up.

          "If you need help findin' anything, let me know," he said, thanking the stars when his voice didn't break or shake.

          The man turned around and smiled and it was the most beautiful thing Tyler had ever seen. His eyes crinkled at the corners, his laugh lines were defined, and Tyler nearly fell over.

         "Thanks," the man chirped. He wet his lips and Tyler's eyes reflexively followed the movement. The man's grin widened. Tyler swallowed.

         "I'll be at the counter, just, uh... if you, if you need me." With that, Tyler hurried off, back to his station at the register. He snuck glances at the other man every now and then, and blushed when he realized he was doing the same. The man pulled out his phone and seemed to be typing with a small smile. Tyler pulled his attention away when he heard his own phone buzz on the counter. He had gotten a text from Josh.

        'Apparently all towns have record stores with awkward dorky workers'

        Tyler's eyes widened and he glanced discretely at the only other person in the store. There was no way, right? Of course not. Tyler typed a response.

          'Youre at a record store right now?'

          'Yeah :) I have about half an hour before I have to go to work so i figured id stop by the place. its been here a while so why not right?'

          The timing of the man's typing and Tyler's phone vibrating was too perfect. It had to be Josh. Tyler was almost positive.

          'Josh what are you wearing right now?'

           The man in the store chuckled lightly, looking down at his phone with a bit of a confused expression.

          'You should at least buy me dinner first geez Ty'

          Tyler laughed in disbelief. The man looked up at him with a similarly curious expression, then looked down at his phone, then back up. Tyler was already typing by the time the other man tried to meet his eyes.

         'Seriously what are you wearing, I need to know Im not just crazy.'

          Tyler peeked up in time to see the man look down at himself with pursed lips, then watched him type on his phone again.

         'uh a red and blue shirt and black jeans, good enough? whats up man?'

         The man was smiling fondly at his screen. Tyler's heart stopped. It was him. It was actually him. It was really, actually, truly _Josh_. He bit his cheek to hide the grin threatening to split across his face as he sent out another text.

          'Josh. Im the awkward dorky worker at the register"

         He watched a series of amusing expressions cross Josh's face - _Josh's face, he was actually looking at Josh's face_ \- before Josh seemed to get enough sense to look up. When he met eyes with Tyler, his face was a picture of pure bewilderment and shock.

          "Tyler?" Josh questioned, eyebows furrowed.

          Tyler couldn't contain himself any longer. Laughter bubble up and he made no effort to stop it. He hung his head while he giggled, missing Josh's brillaint smile.

          "Hi, Josh," he breathed between gasps for air and chuckles. He looked back up when he heard Josh laughing with him, and the other man was a sight to behold. He laughed like he didn't want anyone to see. He kept his head low and wasn't too loud. His hsoulders shook slightly with the effort of keeping himself quiet. Tyler thought he was beautiful.

         "Holy moly, is this even real life?" Josh asked when they had calmed down. He looked at Tyer like Tyler was actually anything to look at, and the younger's smie slipped minutely with the weight of such a thing.

_Huh,_ Tyler thought idly, _I wonder if this is what falling in love feels like._

          "I really hope so," Tyler replied.

          Josh rested his elbows on the counter and leaned his cheek on a fist, unable to stop grinning.

          "If not, we still have texting," Josh said wryly.

         Tyler laughed again.

           "Always," he agreed.

          They stared at each other for longer than strictly necessary, both with equally dumb expressions. Tyler didn't know what to say. He wanted to hug Josh. He wanted to go to Taco Bell and just talk for the rest of the day, and maybe the rest of the night too. Josh said something about working in half an hour. They were likely almost out of time.

           "You know," Josh said. "This is usually the part where I ask for someone's number. I don't really know how to procede."

          "When do you get off work?" Tyler asked almost immediately.

          "Not 'til one," Josh replied with a rueful twist of the mouth.

           Tyler frowned in contemplation.

           "What about tomorrow?" he hedged a bit hesitantly.

          "I'm off tomorrow. What about you?"

          "I'm off too!" Tyler smiled, encouraged. "We should meet up, get Taco Bell or something." He knew he was blushing, but he couldn't be bothered to care in that moment because he could see that Josh was blushing too.

          "That sounds awesome, Ty," Josh said excitedly. He checked the time on his phone and pouted. "I have to get to work. I'll text you and we can work out the details, okay?"

           Tyler nodded. "Sounds good."

           Josh hesitated before leaving. He placed his hand over Tyler's on the counter and gave a light squeeze before pulling away.

          "I'll see you tomorrow, Tyler."

           A flush spread up Tyler's neck and filled his cheeks.

          "See ya," he managed in a tight voice. Josh gave him one last smile before he was gone, leaving Tyler a bright red mess.

         Tyler covered his mouth when he felt more laughter coming on.

 

　

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know if I should continue with the Taco Bell date, as I thought about just ending it there. Stay beautiful!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback and encouragement are much appreciated.


End file.
